Seoul eel restaurant in Sangam-dong: pregnancy summer dinner, Ryeok

Looking for grilled eel in Sangam-dong? Here it is: Ryeok Minmul Jangeogui Jeonmunjeom (력 민물장어구이전문점) 💪

Why we went for grilled eel as a summer stamina meal in Sangam-dong

Ryeok Minmul Jangeogui Jeonmunjeom is a freshwater eel grill restaurant on Seongam-ro 15-gil in Sangam-dong, and we went in the evening for a summer stamina meal of grilled eel.

It's been getting hot lately, and I could really tell my husband's energy was dropping. My body isn't what it used to be either since I got pregnant, so I figured we needed some proper nourishment, and we came for eel, which my husband loves.

Opening hours and closed days

• ⏰️ Hours: weekdays 11:00-23:00 / Saturdays and public holidays 11:00-22:00
• 💤 Break time: 14:00-16:00
• 🗓 Closed: every Sunday

What kind of eel does Ryeok use?

They say they use domestic grade-1 Japonica eel. You can see fresh, live eels wriggling right from the entrance.

Seating: tables for 4 or more, good for groups

There are several group tables for four or more, so it looks great for company dinners and get-togethers.

What can you order if you visit in the evening?

The eel rice bowls are a lunch special, so you can't order them at dinner. We came in the evening, so sadly no rice bowl for us, and we went with grilled eel. Please check the photo for the menu and prices.

8 side dishes and a pollack stew with your grilled eel

When we ordered the grilled eel, a neat spread of a whole 8 side dishes came out, including salad and kimchi. And while we were waiting for the eel...

They brought us a dongtae-tang (spicy pollack stew) with our eel order!!

The stew had two big chunks of pollack, plus roe, milt, minari (water dropwort) and other vegetables, and sujebi (hand-torn dough flakes), filling the whole earthenware pot. The spicy, sharp broth was the best part! The refreshing soup made me feel like I'd had a hangover cure, even though we hadn't been drinking.

In the end my husband said he was craving a cold beer, so he ordered a Heineken draft 🍺✨️

What comes with the salt-grilled and sauce-grilled eel

While eating the side dishes and stew, the grilled eel finally arrived.

We ordered one salt-grilled eel and one sauce-grilled eel, and the eel meat was seriously plump.

On top of that, they also gave us mushrooms, green onion, chili peppers, scallops, corn and pineapple to grill alongside the eel.

And even a mini sam (ginseng root)..! That's a proper energy boost, right?

How long should you grill the pre-grilled eel?

The eel at Ryeok comes already pre-grilled, so you only need to warm it briefly over the charcoal. They told us that leaving it on the heat too long can make the eel hard, so we thought of it as just warming it up, put the eel on only briefly, and mostly grilled the vegetables and mushrooms. Since the eel arrives pre-grilled, you don't have to fuss over cooking it yourself, and there's less smoke too, which I liked.

How was the grilled eel at Ryeok?

The grilled eel was really good. I'm not someone who eats eel that often, but the eel here totally won me over too..! Maybe because they use top-grade domestic Japonica eel, the meat was tender and rich and nutty in the mouth. The bones seem to be well trimmed, too, since only a few turned up, so there was little hassle of picking them out.

Fishy smell and seasoning of the freshwater eel

I didn't notice any fishy smell in the eel at Ryeok. You know how at restaurants that don't handle freshwater eel well, you sometimes get that typical muddy fishiness? Maybe because Ryeok catches the eel the same day and prepares it right away, there was none. The salt and sauce seasoning wasn't heavy either, so even with sauce, pickled perilla leaves and ssambu (pickled radish wraps), it never got too salty and tasted great.

Hair ties and fabric deodorizer at the counter

A touch that shows the owner's thoughtfulness 🥹 When I went to pay after eating, there were hair ties and fabric deodorizer sitting on the counter. Thanks for the lovely meal!

Ryeok Minmul Jangeogui Jeonmunjeom, a Sangam-dong favorite with domestic grade-1 Japonica eel. How about grilled eel as your stamina food this summer? If you're looking for a great eel restaurant in Sangam-dong, give Ryeok a visit.